Vatican declares nine days of mourning for Pope Francis from April 26

The Vatican announced that nine days of mourning for Pope Francis will start on Saturday, April 26—the day of his funeral.

There will be prayer events every day at St Peter's Basilica for the so-called "novemdiales," which will last until May 4.

Malacañang also declared a national mourning period over the passing of Pope Francis on Wednesday, April 23 until the late pontiff's burial under Proclamation No. 871, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. During the period of mourning, the national flags will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all government buildings and installations throughout the country and abroad.

Francis died at the age of 88 on April 21, almost a month after he was discharged from five weeks in hospital where he nearly succumbed to double pneumonia.

He passed away in his apartment at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He died of "cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse," his death certificate said.

The pope's funeral will be held in St. Peter's Square, where most of his predecessors rest. His chosen resting place is the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major), which he had "a great devotion to," he said in his 2024 book "El Sucesor" (The Successor), a long interview with journalist Javier Martinez-Brocal.

Catholic cardinals have met to discuss the next steps following the death of the Argentine pontiff.

No date has yet been set for the conclave, the secret meeting of cardinals aged under 80 to elect a new pope.

But it has to take place between 15 and 20 days after the pontiff's death.